Hi Raul, let's put that quote in context: "Any downside, any mistracking, any noise? No, except for the initial grooves on one side of one ECM Ralph Towner disc. The Decca just skitters over these grooves, no matter what I try -- adjusting VTA, VTF, anti-skating, or what. And that is absolutely the only problem." So, out of his ENTIRE record collection, there is only one LP which gives the combination a hard time in terms of tracking (warped records is another matter). Hardly a damnation of the JMW pairing. Physics teaches, via the principle of the conservation of energy, that energy cannot simply disappear, but can only be converted. Which is to say that rigidity and high mass alone will not eliminate the Deccas' tremendous energy. Now I'm not saying that the Ikeda tonearm doesn't work with the Deccas, but fluid is one very efficient way of dealing with the Decca's energies, dissipiating them, while you and Thomas seem to be saying that the high-rigidity/high-mass approach is the ONLY way of dealing with the Deccas. Have either of you tried the Deccas with the JMWs? Anyway, here I disagree, though I'm willing to grant the tonearms you recommend also work. Another tonearm which worked very well with the Deccas was the fluid-damped Maplenoll air-bearing toneam (damped at the headshell, where it is most effective), which is also no longer in production, and which anyway was only available attached to a Maplenoll turntable. At least consider alternatives rather than blindly defend what you know to the exclusion of all else (kinda like the idler-wheel debate ;-)!).
